Everything Soccer

[notredomer23]

What are the chances of MLS adopting a promotion/relegation format. With the recent expansions, MLS could continue until reaching, say 30, and divide into two 15 team levels.

I doubt it would happen in the US, and I think it would be a tough sell to all the MLS teams as well. Though it would be interesting.

About as likely as MLB adopting pro/rel, unfortunately.

Imagine how exciting baseball would actually be if it had pro/rel

 

[GowerND11]

About as likely as MLB adopting pro/rel, unfortunately.

Imagine how exciting baseball would actually be if it had pro/rel

It's intriguing. Scrap the minor league system, instead those teams are just lower levels, and can fight for pro/rel. Would prevent teams from stockpiling young talent, instead they could be dispersed across the country and throughout all levels.

 

[notredomer23]

It's intriguing. Scrap the minor league system, instead those teams are just lower levels, and can fight for pro/rel. Would prevent teams from stockpiling young talent, instead they could be dispersed across the country and throughout all levels.

Yup, it is really the only sport with the infrastructure/interest/money where pro/real could work. No chance in football or basketball with college athletics and no real minor league (though the G League is getting better).

 

[notredomer23]

Also:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well then: Jonathan Klinsmann set to make senior Hertha Berlin debut <a href="https://t.co/7xKjG0vA6h">https://t.co/7xKjG0vA6h</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/Bundesliga_EN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bundesliga_EN</a></p>— Travis Clark (@travismclark) <a href="https://twitter.com/travismclark/status/938471199406985217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[IrishLion]

I try to resist completely spamming this thread with stuff from a USL side that few care about in comparison to the worldwide clubs,
but I can't help this one:

Don't let your dreams be dreams.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is a message to <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLS</a> from Cincinnati. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLS2CINCY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLS2CINCY</a> <a href="https://t.co/AJ06KGx3Op">pic.twitter.com/AJ06KGx3Op</a></p>— #MLS2CINCY - CincySoccer (@cincy_soccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/cincy_soccer/status/938446037022380034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ACamp1900]

Dude, talk USL and MLS all you want, that's what this thread is for... but Cinncy just lost a bit of my support for using that doucher... lol

 

[ACamp1900]

Toronto... finally became what everyone thought they would...

Also I see Manchester is celebrating the Poop v Puke Derby... lol

 

[NDRock]

City!

 

[notredomer23]

Man City pretty much already guaranteed the title

 

[Cackalacky]

They're expanding too quickly... I hope they pump the breaks after this...

Is there any plans to go the relegation route between MLS and USL teams? That would be great IMO.

 

[notredomer23]

Is there any plans to go the relegation route between MLS and USL teams? That would be great IMO.

Very contingent on how the USSF presidential race goes... Some candidates want pro/rel, some don't. Garber is obviously anti-pro/rel. In short, the chances of it happening in the next decade is slim to none.

 

[Emcee77]

Last week, there was some talk on the Totally Football Podcast about MLS, and it was interesting to hear the thoughts of soccer journalists based in Europe on MLS.

The general opinion was that it's become a good league that's worth watching. But one of the podders pointed out that too many of the games are meaningless once you reach the point in the season where playoff places are basically determined.

(I will try not to go off on a tangent, but that is a more general problem with American sports, from my point of view. Other than football, in which there are fewer overall games so each individual game tends to be more meaningful, I don't spend much time watching any American sports until the playoffs.)

Obviously having promotion/relegation would alleviate this problem of having too many meaningless games. I have no hope that it will happen, though. If I were an MLS owner, why would I agree to bear the risk of relegation and the financial catastrophe that comes with it if I didn't have to? Hard to see why you'd go for it.

 

[dublinirish]

Last week, there was some talk on the Totally Football Podcast about MLS, and it was interesting to hear the thoughts of soccer journalists based in Europe on MLS.

The general opinion was that it's become a good league that's worth watching. But one of the podders pointed out that too many of the games are meaningless once you reach the point in the season where playoff places are basically determined.

(I will try not to go off on a tangent, but that is a more general problem with American sports, from my point of view. Other than football, in which there are fewer overall games so each individual game tends to be more meaningful, I don't spend much time watching any American sports until the playoffs.)

Obviously having promotion/relegation would alleviate this problem of having too many meaningless games. I have no hope that it will happen, though. If I were an MLS owner, why would I agree to bear the risk of relegation and the financial catastrophe that comes with it if I didn't have to? Hard to see why you'd go for it.

yeah playoff soccer is indeed strange to us as europeans. the two league seasons per year (ala mexico, brazil etc) is even more strange but i guess it's a cultural thing in place like that. people are always going to weirded out by what is different to them. Even the likes of the salary cap in the Bundesliga is kind of smirked at in the EPL..

 

[notredomer23]

yeah playoff soccer is indeed strange to us as europeans. the two league seasons per year (ala mexico, brazil etc) is even more strange but i guess it's a cultural thing in place like that. people are always going to weirded out by what is different to them. Even the likes of the salary cap in the Bundesliga is kind of smirked at in the EPL..

How strongly is that salary cap enforced? Or is it a liquid cap where the Bayerns and Dortmunds are permitted to spend more than the Darmstadts and Freiburgs?

 

[NorthDakota]

How strongly is that salary cap enforced? Or is it a liquid cap where the Bayerns and Dortmunds are permitted to spend more than the Darmstadts and Freiburgs?

I believe the Bundesliga has some financial controls... not really a cap.

 

[ACamp1900]

Nagbe just signed with Atlanta... whoa.

 

[ACamp1900]

German football model is a league apart - BBC News

On the German money thing: Here's a write up from a few years back on the Bundesliga and how they choose to run things. One thing to note is I don't believe it is possible for some outside billionaire to come in and purchase a club and throw a ton of money into it like Man City, PSG or Chelsea for example. Also, with the money influx England has seen in recent years do many EPL teams still run at a loss??... I doubt that is still the case.

 

[Emcee77]

German football model is a league apart - BBC News

On the German money thing: Here's a write up from a few years back on the Bundesliga and how they choose to run things. One thing to note is I don't believe it is possible for some outside billionaire to come in and purchase a club and throw a ton of money into it like Man City, PSG or Chelsea for example. Also, with the money influx England has seen in recent years do many EPL teams still run at a loss??... I doubt that is still the case.

That's a good question. There is TONS of fan pressure on English owners to spend every dime they make on transferring in players who can make the club better. On the BBC 5 Live podcast, I often hear fans complaining that owners like Mike Ashley (for example) refuse to "invest in their clubs" by making funds available to buy players, or show a "lack of ambition" by failing to make that sort of investment.

Honestly, just personally, I think fans in England go too far in that respect. They actually seem to EXPECT owners to run their clubs at a loss, or very near one. For example, Liverpool is owned by Fenway Sports Group, which is notorious for, at least initially, bringing to Liverpool Moneyball-like tactics and focusing on buying young players at a cheap price so they can develop them and sell them for more later in their careers. I think most of us in the States generally view this strategy as totally respectable and intelligent and generally good business, particularly since FSG used it to win titles for the Red Sox under Theo Epstein. But based on what I hear on 5 Live or on Liverpool-specific podcasts like the Liverpool Echo's Blood Red or The Anfield Wrap, or on what I read in the Echo or on the Liverpool FC subreddit, rank-and-file Liverpool fans view this strategy as utterly unacceptable, or at least unbefitting a club of Liverpool's stature. They want FSG to buy players who can help Klopp win at every opportunity, finances be damned.

So anyway, that's a long-winded way of saying that it wouldn't surprise me if there are a number of EPL clubs that still run at a loss.

The TL;DR version: True, English clubs have more money coming in nowadays, but owners are under tremendous pressure to spend all of that revenue on transfers, and I have the impression that some of them do.

 

[ACamp1900]

Mike Ashley is a giant turd, any Newcastle fan can confirm believe me... it makes me angry that he's part American or whatever the hell he is. He can't sell the team fast enough.

 

[Emcee77]

Premier League revenues soar but clubs still make a loss - BBC News

 

[ACamp1900]

As I understand Fair Play rules,... isn't that a violation???

 

[notredomer23]

As I understand Fair Play "rules",... isn't that a violation???

FYP

 

[IrishLion]

MLS Board of Governor's meet today.

If they come to some sort of decision or vote today, I'd expect news to start leaking out almost immediately... either the clubs getting in will give a nod to local media and give them the scoop, or else the clubs NOT getting in will give the scoop to their media to ruin any formal announcements.

The experts seem to think Sacramento and Nashville are the favorites... makes me nervous, and preemptively pissed off. Nashville is given the edge because of their stadium deal and TV market, but Cincinnati has their stadium deal worked out now, and the TV market outperformed Nashville's over the course of the MLS playoffs.

The one thing that they all note, and which gives me hope, is that the MLS may be looking for a team to begin play in 2019, and Cincinnati would be the unanimous choice if that's the case. They're ready to play in the MLS at this very moment if they needed to. They already reconfigured Nippert Stadium to fit MLS requirements, and Don Garber said it would be an acceptable place-holder stadium until FCC's stadium is constructed.

Another thing I'm clinging to is that maybe Sacramento isn't the shoe-in that everyone seems to think... I've read in several places that the MLS would prefer to be in San Diego, so they may skip Sacramento for now and go back to them in the next round of expansion in hopes that San Diego gets their act together. If the go with Sacramento now, that may over-saturate the California market.

Cincinnati local media seem to be very confident that FCC will be one of the two or three chose this time around. Either that's beat-coverage bias, or else they have sources giving them good info that they are hanging their opinions on.

No idea, but I'm nervous.

 

[NDohio]

MLS Board of Governor's meet today.

If they come to some sort of decision or vote today, I'd expect news to start leaking out almost immediately... either the clubs getting in will give a nod to local media and give them the scoop, or else the clubs NOT getting in will give the scoop to their media to ruin any formal announcements.

The experts seem to think Sacramento and Nashville are the favorites... makes me nervous, and preemptively pissed off. Nashville is given the edge because of their stadium deal and TV market, but Cincinnati has their stadium deal worked out now, and the TV market outperformed Nashville's over the course of the MLS playoffs.

The one thing that they all note, and which gives me hope, is that the MLS may be looking for a team to begin play in 2019, and Cincinnati would be the unanimous choice if that's the case. They're ready to play in the MLS at this very moment if they needed to. They already reconfigured Nippert Stadium to fit MLS requirements, and Don Garber said it would be an acceptable place-holder stadium until FCC's stadium is constructed.

Another thing I'm clinging to is that maybe Sacramento isn't the shoe-in that everyone seems to think... I've read in several places that the MLS would prefer to be in San Diego, so they may skip Sacramento for now and go back to them in the next round of expansion in hopes that San Diego gets their act together. If the go with Sacramento now, that may over-saturate the California market.

Cincinnati local media seem to be very confident that FCC will be one of the two or three chose this time around. Either that's beat-coverage bias, or else they have sources giving them good info that they are hanging their opinions on.

No idea, but I'm nervous.

Is there a chance they take three?

 

[IrishLion]

Is there a chance they take three?

They could take anywhere from one to three.

Three is very unlikely, now that Beckham's club seems to have the ownership group in place that the MLS was looking for. But it's still a possibility if they feel Miami FC isn't fully ironed out yet.

Likelihood:
1. They take two
2. They take one
3. They take three

They could even delay the decision if they feel like all of the clubs still have questions to answer, or if they feel like more info is needed. The finalists all had follow-up questions to answer after the expansion presentations last week, though, so that shouldn't be the case unless the MLS is really uncomfortable with things.

 

[NDohio]

Thanks. I had only heard up to two.

Fingers crossed

 

[IrishLion]

Activating all flight plan trackers.

I'd imagine if the MLS has plans to announce the expansion choices in the cities themselves, flight plans will start getting settled this morning.

Putting Lunken Airport on red alert for any potential surprise flights.

 

[Rocket89]

Not even mad. Impressed by Man City, good lord.

They can drop 16 points over the remaining 20 games and still break the top-flight English record.

 

[Cackalacky]

Pulisic is good.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I heard someone say a couple of weeks ago that Sterling was the best player in the EPL, which puzzled me. He's a good player but he isn't even close to being the best player on his own team --- De Bruyne is the best and the best in the whole league. David Silva is EXTREMELY good, and better. Arguably Aguero is better, though some real problem seems to exist between player/manager there. I look at the solidity of that team, adding guys like Walker, Otamendi, Mane, the converted Delph, and it seems a whole hoard of REALLY good players from whom Sterling seems not to stand out much. Obviously I'm missing something.

The combination of De Bruyne and DSilva running the midfield gives me great pleasure to watch. Give me those two and Vidal and I'll rule the world.